CAPTAIN RUSSELL AT HASTINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1202, 15 March 1895, Page 36

CAPTAIN RUSSELL AT HASTINGS.

Hastings, March 12. Captain Russell addressed his constituents to-night, the Mayor presiding. Captain Russell explained that he had spoken in Napier before he met his constituents in Hastings because he wished to reply to a personal attack made upon him by the Premier. He denied that employers had got rid of their servants for the purpose of damaging the credit of the Colony. Owing to the fall in the values of products, the farmer was not able to spend as much as in previous years. With regard to the borrowing policy of the Government, if they had not actually raised the money they had endeavoured to pledge < the credit of the Colony to the amount of ,£7,500,000. The people of New Zealand had not thoroughly realised the folly of pursuing such a course. The line of conduct of the Government would simply lead the Colony into a state of bankruptcy. The information given as to the internal affairs of the Bank of New Zealand at the time the guarantee was given was most meagre. In the event of a crisis, he asked, were the interests of the Colony to be further pledged in behalf of this private trading firm? The Premier had told him that what ho had said in the House regarding the Bank was unpatriotic, but he considered it was the most patriotic policy to let the people know the truth. On the 29th June he became aware that the whole Bill was to be passed through before the House rose. It was an unfortunate thing that a great many men in the House were interested in the Bank, and therefore a very great responsibility was thrown upon the small Opposition, who were in an absolutely independent position. The Opposition could have stonewalled the Bill, but that was their only resource. They were therefore practically compelled to agree to the passing of the Bill upon inform ition which no business man would lend £2O upon. Captain .Russell commented upon the passage in the Governor’s Speech a week before declaring that the position of the Colony was one of real satisfaction. The Government, he held, ought to have considered the interests of the people first in preference to the interests of the shareholders. The position should have been faced, and even had liquidation been necessitated, it would only have been temporary. Another instance of the inaccuracy of the Premier w r as shown at Napier. The Premier said they had acquired 1,074,000 acres of Native land, against 70,000 purchased by the Atkinson Government. As a matter of fact, 657,825 acres was the actual amount they had purchased. If they had these large quantities of land on hand, why was the Land for Settlements Bill brought in ? There was plenty of land in the market. Mr Pi rani moved a most sensible amendment in the Bill as to the order in which estates should be taken ; but the Government refused their supporter’s amendment. The present was a time of great depression, but it was merely temporary. An effort must, however, be made to restore confidence. The Government had not affected the prices of wool or grain, but they had struck at the capitalist, and he would not invest capital. Although the Government had a strong majority in the House, they had not, in the country. Out of 303,076 votes recorded at the last election, 153,663 were for the Government, and 149,413 for the unsuccessful candidates —in reality a very small majority. He believed that at the next election the . majority i would be on the other side. He did not think the people of the Colony believed that revolution and confiscation were good things; and the Opposition would go to the country with a name for restoring confidence and with a programme of social progress and social reform. A vote of confidence was unanimously passed. ' ■ . •■ ■